HELSINKI -- Rudolph the reindeer is
having a glittering antler makeover - the latest attempt to halt some of the
thousands of road deaths of the roaming caribou in the wilds of Finland.

Anne Ollila of the Finnish Reindeer
Herder's Association says the antlers
of 20 reindeer have been painted with various fluorescent
dyes to see how the animals react and whether the paints are resistant to the
harsh Arctic climate.

If successful, animals with glittering
antlers will be free to roam Lapland
- a vast, deserted area in northern Finland where herders tend to some 200,000
reindeer.

Ollila says reflectors and reflective
tape have proven unsuccessful as reindeer have torn them off - and road signs
warning drivers of roaming reindeer often are stolen by tourists as souvenirs.